Articles related to Baptists, Muslims, Islam, Interfaith

By: David DraperPeople who cross are paths from different cultures offer great opportunities for developing friendships and discussing beliefs. Sadly, not everyone is interested in nurturing these relationships.

By: EthicsDaily StaffBefore the deadly day in Charlottesville in the aftermath of the white supremacist rally, local clergy from various faiths had been gathering to prepare a safe space in the event of a tragedy.

By: Philip JenkinsUnlike virtually all Christian churches and denominations, Baptists are not witnessing a fundamental shift of numbers to the global south. Instead, they remain heavily concentrated in North America. But why?

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe number of U.S. Protestants who self-identify with a particular denomination has declined steadily over the past 16 years, according to a Gallup analysis, dropping from 50 percent in 2000 to 30 percent today.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from nearly 50 nations focused on religious liberty concerns in multiple nations and elected a new general secretary, Elijah Brown, during the Baptist World Alliance's annual gathering in Thailand.

By: Kathryn KraftAlthough the Central African Republic's civil war was not religiously motivated, the violence led to a breakdown in social cohesion between Christians and Muslims. Here's how faith leaders in one village came together.

By: Nick LearRecent hate-motivated attacks reveal it's not enough for our society to tolerate our neighbors; we must love them. When we all love our neighbors, we build a brick-by-brick defense against hate.

By: Ferrell FosterThe alt-right paints a picture of the U.S. as a white nation under attack from non-whites. It ignores that from our earliest days, the U.S. has been a place where all types of diverse people have come together.

By: Ruth GouldbourneAs we observe the 500th anniversary of the events we call the Reformation, history reminds us that our relationship to that movement is not simple and linear. Our early debates shaped who we are today.

By: David Kerrigan Are all Baptists card-carrying evangelicals? To answer that, we must first define what evangelical means. That definition means contemporary Baptist identity is at times at odds with evangelical ideology.

By: Jon KuhrtWe can't disconnect violent extremism from its religious roots, whether that's Islam or Christianity. Religion provides resources for oppressors and those fighting for peace and liberation. We must judge them by their actions.

By: Martin AccadSome have claimed that when Muslims speak and behave positively toward non-Muslims, they are being hypocritical and hiding a stealthy agenda. Christians who affirm that claim are bearing false witness.

By: Martin AccadThe concept of "taqiyya" refers to the permission in Islam for Muslims to dissimulate their beliefs to avoid bodily harm. Some have misstated the belief in order to accuse Muslims of holding a stealthy agenda.

By: Kelly Moreland JonesEven though God is described in ways as other than male in the Bible, you rarely hear texts preached or prayers addressed to anyone other than a male God. Is that a problem or an opportunity?

By: Ashfaq TaufiqueMuslims all over the world will fast during the month of Ramadan, which begins May 27 and is a time in which they refrain from all food and drink and sexual activities from dawn to dusk.

By: Jesus RomeroIn these perilous times of social and political polarization, immigrants need more people who can help them find legal relief. Here's how one Christian ministry does that, standing in the gap and serving as their advocate.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMillions of children have fled their homes, either living as refugees or internally displaced as a result of South Sudan's ongoing civil war. And Baptists are ministering to these growing numbers.

By: Shane McNaryWhen national policies motivated by short-term political goals endanger the long-term moral authority of the U.S., Baptists, as U.S. citizens, must not be silent in calls for justice and freedom.

By: Lee BeachWhen Muslims become targets of hatred, Christians need to stand with our Islamic brothers and sisters and support initiatives that condemn these racist, hateful acts, even if the initiative is not perfect from our perspective.

By: William CowleyA full-fledged genocide can take years, sometimes generations, to explode, but each incident of genocide probably has a small, simple beginning. Sometimes, as simple as bullying on a playground.

By: Tony PeckMore than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred in Srebrenica, a province in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in July 1995. It was the worst act of genocide since World War II - and many churches remained silent.

By: Kathryn KraftHow should Christians respond to the vast wave of refugees fleeing Muslim-majority nations and living in Muslim-majority nations? Recall our history when millions of refugees fled after WWII from Christian-majority nations.

By: Bill WhiteAfter hearing a missionary speak about food insecurity, four young girls at Christ Journey Church in Miami wanted to do something about it. Their passion led to one of the church's most vibrant ministries.

By: Bill RossEfforts by First Baptist of Marietta, Georgia, led to the creation of Pure Water Initiative Inc., a nonprofit that has so far provided drinking water to nearly 200,000 people in India, Indonesia and other nations.

By: Kevin HeadNoah, a young man in Kenya, received a life-saving operation this year. He is one of many people who were treated by short-term mission teams from First Baptist Church of Roswell, Georgia.

By: Debra WintMany wells in Ghana's frontier region were installed by outsiders and have broken down. Villagers can't repair them. Texas Baptist Men Water Ministry works with villagers to teach them how to repair these wells.

By: Angela SudermannGod has been using health professionals to advance the mission of Christ through American Baptist International Ministries since 1821. To this day, they continue to serve in health and wellness ministries worldwide.

By: Sarah StevensIn a culture that encourages and even demands self-centeredness, the church's role in teaching children to have a global and others-centered worldview is increasingly important. Here's how one church does it.

By: Gary SnowdenFor nearly a decade, First Baptist of Lee's Summit, Missouri, has held mission trips to western Guatemala, partnering with local churches to provide leadership training and provide medical care among other needs.

By: Emmanuel McCallAt a time when it was unpopular for black and whites to travel together, Robert and I became "soul partners" as we crisscrossed the nation in numerous racial reconciliation initiatives.

By: Mary SplawnA passion for food and hospitality combined at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Alabama to make a global impact. Since 2010, women at the church have connected their love for cooking with the church's mission work.

By: David Emmanuel GoatleyDuring its history, the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention has sent out many missionaries to foreign countries. Today, however, all of Lott Carey's missionary personnel are indigenous.

By: Sue SmithIt's easy for many Americans to look at immigrants and wonder why they are here. However, if more people had the opportunity to visit immigrants' countries of origin, they would have a better understanding.

By: Martha Kate HallSince 1997, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia has held March Mission Madness, in which hundreds of middle and high school students spend an entire Saturday serving in a local community.

By: Reggie WarrenPartnering with the Ghana Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Association of Virginia is working to start 500 Baptist churches and to distribute and install more than 100,000 malaria-protecting mosquito nets.

By: Jerrod HugenotAbyssinian Baptist Church is among the great congregations to rise up and minister to the urban multitudes in the history of New York City churches. One of its most visionary pastors was Adam Clayton Powell Sr.

By: EthicsDaily StaffBaptist and Catholic leaders have addressed the United Nations' Feb. 20 formal declaration of famine in South Sudan, noting government complicity in the crises plaguing the African nation.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAmid increasing violence in South Sudan, Baptists in this African nation are ministering to refugees and internally displaced persons. The country is the world's third largest refugee crisis but receives far less attention.

By: Tim LongSince May 2016, thousands of immigrants have flocked to Tijuana, awaiting their turn to cross into the U.S. Six Baptist churches from this Mexican border town are ministering to 500 of those asylum seekers.

By: Neville CallamHardly can one identify a greater need of Baptists today than to rediscover Baptist interdependency - an interdependency that rejects cultural imperialism, paternalism and neo-colonialism.

By: Michael OkwakolI first heard of the Baptist World Alliance when I joined the staff of the Baptist Union of Uganda in 1984. Since then, I have discovered many benefits from BWA involvement. Here are a few of them.

By: Meredith StoneMy worldview was small until my seminary professors introduced me to the Baptist World Alliance's global family, where we teach each other that all folks are created in the divine image - not just Americans.

By: EthicsDaily StaffIn a nationwide polarized political climate, Texas lawmakers have found an issue around which they can unite: putting an end to human trafficking. An estimated 313,000 people in Texas are trafficking victims.

By: Craig SherouseThe beautiful diversity of the Baptist world family is always on display when the BWA meets. As a local church pastor for 41 years, my ministry and missional partnerships have been greatly enriched by the BWA.

By: Paul MsizaGrowing up during apartheid's reign in South Africa was difficult. Christianity was viewed with suspicion, and Baptists were marginalized. But then I was exposed to the Baptist World Alliance.

By: Daniel TrusiewiczBaptists have enjoyed freedom to preach the gospel, train leaders and carry out fruitful missionary activities in Moldova since the eastern European nation gained its freedom in 1991. Here are the stories of three of them.

By: Jim HillI have a dream that one day white Christians will have the courage to lead a nation to have an honest conversation about racism and white privilege. I have a dream that conversation will lead our nation to begin to heal.

By: Charles CheekNot long ago, neighbors gathered on front porches to freely exchange ideas to bring about change. We've lost sight of that in our isolated society. But we can gather again on the "front porch" for justice.

By: Zach DawesMany churches remain predominantly black or white, but Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us of the difference between segregated and segregating churches. MLK Jr. Day services offer an opportunity to integrate.

By: Candice LeeIt's tempting to imagine that trafficking only happens in faraway countries, but that's not the reality. The Woman's Missionary Union provides grants to respond to human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

By: Stacy BlackmonSome folks may feel that human trafficking is too big of a problem for them to offer any help. But individuals, small groups, even churches can play a vital role in stopping human trafficking in its tracks.

By: Robert ParhamNational Human Trafficking Awareness Day is Jan. 11, a time to draw attention to the third leading worldwide criminal industry. While there's no doubt Baptists have taken a stand, let's use this day to become further engaged.

By: Pam StricklandMany practicing Christians view pornography, which drives demand for prostitution and sex trafficking. To stop human trafficking, the church must end the demand for victims. And we must start with us.

By: Stuart BlytheWhile Baptists are committed to human rights at an official level, that commitment doesn't seem to make it into many churches - even though clear theological grounds exist for the support of human rights.

By: Duane Brooks and Jen WhittenbergMore than just football comes to town with the Super Bowl. In addition to the thousands of visitors in town for the game, there is an increased demand for commercial sex. Here's one church's response.

By: Valerie CarterUnlike sex-trafficked victims, society, including the church, does not look favorably upon those in the business of prostitution. But there's a thin line between the two, and our thinking must change.

By: Robert ParhamRetired missionaries Bill and Audrey Cowley showed courage during a time of tribal genocide in Nigeria in 1966 and built one of Africa's transformative educational institutions. They are EthicsDaily.com's Baptists of the Year.

By: EthicsDaily Staff498 columns. 139 contributors. 125 news articles. These are a few snapshots of EthicsDaily.com's 2016 initiatives, providing a global perspective from goodwill people of faith on engaging pressing issues facing the world.

By: Cliff VaughnBill and Audrey Cowley not only saved lives during a tribal genocide in Nigeria in 1966, they also founded Baptist High School in 1961, which emerged as a pre-eminent educational institution and remains so to this day.

By: Zach DawesThe Baptist Center for Ethics / EthicsDaily.com hit the ground running in 2016 and didn't slow down. As the year nears its close, we look forward to continuing our efforts to advance the common good in 2017.

By: Bader MansourEveryone who grew up Southern Baptist knows Lottie Moon. A missionary to China in the 1800s, she personified the missionary spirit of Southern Baptists. But do you know the story of George Laty?

By: Colin HarrisCommunities of faith can choose whether to tolerate xenophobia - Dictionary.com's word of the year - or to call it out as contrary to the teachings of many faiths that affirm community over estrangement.

Play "Name That Baptist," a game created by EthicsDaily.com staff for its 25th anniversary celebration in 2016. The game offers a playful review of Baptist Center for Ethics' quarter century of work by highlighting global Baptist leaders who have collaborated to help advance the common good.

By: EthicsDaily StaffHuman Rights Day will be observed on Dec. 10. The Baptist World Alliance is encouraging its members to participate in the annual observance in their worship services over that weekend.

By: Paul HobsonThe leader of the Baptist Union of Great Britain has joined other faith leaders from that nation to urge government leaders to take immediate action to deliver aid to up to 250,000 civilians in Aleppo.

By: Robert ParhamFor 25 years, the Baptist Center for Ethics has walked through doors of opportunities, often not knowing what awaited us on the other side. Now, it's your turn to walk through a door with us with your financial support.

By: Barry HowardYour church will be healthier if members are equipped to be good theologians. There are two categories of theology: folk and academic theology. Both are extremely important to the health of the church.

By: Neville CallamAs part of their commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Lutherans in Germany held a joint ecumenical remembrance with Catholics, making a serious commitment to visible unity.

By: Zach DawesA recent Pew survey declared that interfaith households are growing, with one in five adults raised in interfaith homes. However, the survey's definition of interfaith makes the findings problematic.

By: Frank ReesWhile Christians are all one in Christ, that does not mean our Christian identity does away with our differences. Difference is part of who we are because difference is part of who God is.

By: Ashley al-SalibyWe must reject the superiority and hatred in all of us because it leads to horrors that we couldn't imagine our friends and neighbors capable of carrying out. With love, we must stand up for our Muslim neighbors.

By: Ashley al-SalibyThree men were arrested for planning to bomb a Muslim community in Kansas. Not too far back in our history, another group successfully carried out a similar atrocity. Where does such murderous hatred begin?

By: Martin AccadElection Day is fast approaching. To encourage voters to be less fear-driven and rational and socially compassionate, here are four mistakes we often make in our thinking about Islam and Muslims.

By: Paul HobsonBaptists in Europe and the Middle East who are involved in the response to the refugee crisis are seeing an "incredible spiritual harvest," says a member of the European Baptist Federation.

By: EthicsDaily StaffFew U.S. Catholics have positive views of Islam or know a Muslim personally, a Georgetown University report says, with 30 percent holding very or somewhat unfavorable views of Islam.

By: Jim KelseyBaptist churches are well equipped to move with freedom and flexibility in a rapidly changing world, leaving behind those things that are not core to who we are and might slow us down on our journey.

By: Mitch RandallAfter 15 years, you would assume our society has grown up regarding the relationship between Christians and Muslims. At times, the opposite seems true. We must set aside our ignorance and biases.

By: Danny ChisholmAs we approach the 15th anniversary of 9/11, it's more vital than ever for Muslims and Christians in the U.S. to work together. We can unite to improve our communities without compromising our religious views.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMore than 50,000 people have died in South Sudan's 3-year-old civil war as both sides increasingly rely on recruiting children to fight. An estimated 16,000 children have been recruited in the conflict.

By: Colin SedgwickWherever we look in our world today, we can find men and women of goodwill, even in places where our prejudices might have led us to regard it as extremely unlikely. We can work together without compromise.

By: Robert ParhamMuslim leaders are concerned about the possibility of one of their holy days coinciding with 9/11's 15th anniversary. Before that date, Christians can take proactive steps now to build bridges with their Muslim neighbors.

By: EBF StaffEuropean Baptist leaders met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, during which the president signed a decree celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in the eastern European nation.

By: Larry EubanksWhen 300 Islamic leaders united to denounce religious extremism within Islam, the news received little media attention. These Muslim leaders are closer to the position of Jesus than many of his followers.

By: Danny ChisholmMany churches are not uniform when it comes to political views. We are a tapestry of different political, social and theological positions. This political season, we must reaffirm what unifies us amid diverse views.

By: Zach DawesInteracting with global Baptists during the Baptist World Alliance's annual gathering offered two advantages: Your personal echo chamber is revealed, and you're able to expand your sense of community.

By: EthicsDaily StaffHow does a pastor 'stay fresh' after a 40-year ministry with the same church? Bill Brown, senior pastor of Syndal Baptist Church in Australia, shared his insights in a video interview with EthicsDaily.com.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAs Baptists from 50 nations gathered in Canada last week for the Baptists World Alliance annual gathering, EthicsDaily.com shot video interviews with Baptist leaders from around the globe.

By: Brian KaylorCanadian Baptists at the 2016 Baptist World Alliance annual gathering welcomed global Baptists to Vancouver, reflecting on their unique ministry heritage and context as they introduced their country.

By: Brian KaylorGlobal Baptists discussed the COP21 agreement, emphasized the reality of climate change, and urged a more robust creation care theology at a commission meeting during the 2016 BWA gathering.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMore than 65 million people were forcibly displaced by conflict in 2015, a United Nations' report says, which is nearly 6 million more than 2014. Over half of those forcibly displaced were children.

By: Brian KaylorGlobal Baptists face a growing debate over how Baptist relief and development agencies could most effectively collaborate. The issue likely will be a focal point during the BWA annual gathering.

By: Michael Helms Many Christians are threatened by U.S. pluralism pecking away at their majority status. To fight it, some Georgia Baptists are pushing for laws that benefit them, but that's liberty and justice for some.

By: Frank Broome Two visions are at work in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family. One vision cherishes the best of what it means to be Baptist; the other wants to change the world. Both visions have value.

By: Rick LoveNearly six out of 10 evangelical pastors believe Islam is dangerous and promotes violence, research found. To counter that false narrative, here are three ways you can help congregants see the truth.

By: John Pierce Christian fundamentalists have a record of landing on the wrong side of equal rights and social change. A Georgia Baptist editor has peddled a fear-based argument to limit Muslims' religious freedom.

By: Tony Peck At a European Baptist Federation conference, Baptists were challenged to change their language about the arrival of thousands of refugees to Europe, viewing it not as a crisis but a blessing.

By: Martin Accad Beliefs about Jesus today are diverse among Muslims. When our conversation is rooted into a robust life in the footsteps of Jesus, theological dialogue with Muslims will be strengthened and more fruitful.

By: Brian Kaylor Despite the technological and financial limitations that Cubans have faced over the last 50 years, Baptist leaders there report dramatic growth among churches over the last two decades.

By: EthicsDaily StaffA Baptist church in Kansas City, Missouri, will hold a series of 'provocative conversations' - human trafficking, racism, foster care and the future of education - and how they affect their community.

By: Philip JenkinsAs an integral part of Western rhetoric, crusades indicated a noble or righteous struggle inspired by higher motives. The word is now actively toxic, suggesting religious fanaticism and Islamophobia.

By: Lynne HybelsChristians and Muslims have different beliefs about God and Jesus, but they can still respect each other. Will you refuse to let irresponsible media stories shape your opinions of Muslims?

By: Jerrod HugenotWhile some Baptists claim that women should not be in church leadership, especially pastoral ministry, the truth is that without their leadership and commitment, churches would not have much left.

By: Ashley al-SalibyWestern fears about Islam and Muslims are surging again. Will we stand up to the media's negative perceptions of the Islamic faith? Or succumb to the hatred and fear from which God's mercy saved us?

By: Glen MarshallEvangelism often happens best when it happens obliquely. If evangelism is always the primary motivator for everything we are, do and say, we will end up making our evangelism inauthentic.

By: Robert ParhamFragmentary experiences inform and sharpen one's understanding of the world. As the Baptist Center for Ethics' executive director for 25 years, here are a few that have expanded my view of the world.

By: Martin AccadIn its near-unanimous denial of the historicity of the crucifixion of Jesus, the Muslim exegetical tradition - not the Quran - stands largely alone. It also rejects the purpose of biblical salvation history.

By: Martin AccadThe Quran reports Jesus' miraculous birth, his ministry of healing and raising people from the dead. What remains hard to grasp is how life and salvation can emerge from death and apparent failure.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThree nations - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - were at the center of the Ebola epidemic, and faith leaders have been vital in responding effectively to the crises in the West African nations.

By: Simon JonesGod often works where he's not invited or welcomed - except by those who have no other prayer but that he'll come to their aid in their distress. Just ask those, many of them Christians, in the refugee camp in France.

By: Robert ParhamPlenty of serious issues have been tackled by the Baptist Center for Ethics over the last 25 years. But as we celebrate our quarter-century anniversary, let's focus on a few lighter moments.

By: Arthur BrownBeing Christian and being Muslim are not the same. We don't have identical understandings of the God we worship. However, Christians can reject the bigotry of judging others and build bridges of respect.

By: Martin AccadAs Syrian refugees migrate into Europe in massive numbers, Western churches want to know how to respond. The first issue to address is the fear that many have about this overwhelming phenomenon

By: Tony PeckThis June, United Kingdom citizens will vote in a referendum on whether or not the government should continue to be part of the European Union. One Baptist leader calls on Britain to continue its partnership.

By: Andy WilliamsViolent extremism is arguably the greatest global threat. Jesus rejected the option of violent extremism and faced violence with self-sacrifice. And today we can respond in these seven ways.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAfter shedding more than 1,000 missionaries and staff, Southern Baptists' International Mission Board president discusses the agency's future and mobilizing ordinary Christians to the mission field.

By: Baptist Union of Great BritainAs the French government demolishes homes in a makeshift refugee camp, where migrants hope to cross the English Channel into Britain, Baptists in the United Kingdom urge their government to ensure protection.

By: Neville CallamAs we seek to relate the teaching of Scripture to the vexed issues of contemporary life, we should not fail to recognize the complexity of the process by which we can hear the voice of God.

By: Roger OlsonSome equate "American evangelicalism" with a far right-wing political movement, but many evangelicals don't identify with or participate in the Religious Right or fundamentalist theology.

By: Martin AccadSome say Islam means peace; others say that's not true. Here's the truth: Islam will mean whatever those currently struggling for its soul will be able to make of it in the decades ahead.

By: Rebecca BrownWorldwide, more than 20,000 people have been recruited by the smooth rhetoric of ISIS and their self-declared holy war. However, we can slow their recruitment efforts down if each of us does this.

By: EthicsDaily StaffA strong U.S. majority - more than two-thirds - affirmed that people and groups use religion to justify violent actions rather than religious teachings being the cause of violence, a Pew Research Center report found.

By: John WeaverA Baptist church in England has received an award to recognize its ongoing efforts to care for the environment in all areas of church life. It's one of more than 300 churches from all denominations to earn the award.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThirty-two Iowa pastors and a handful of national leaders have informed the 2016 presidential candidates that evangelical voters "are looking for a biblical approach regarding immigrants and immigration."

By: Bob NewellBorn into poverty in 1935, Elvis Presley overcame the odds to become a music legend. Many others around the globe face similar disadvantages. How can we as Christians give them opportunities to prosper?

By: Paul S. FiddesFrom the beginning of their church life, Baptists thought that "walking together and watching over each other" was more than individual believers in a congregation; it involved churches watching over each other.

By: John PierceThe United States is plagued with 'ceremonial Christianity,' which baptizes national allegiance and political ideologies in the language of faith. And Jesus' teaching is lost in the process.

By: Joe LaGuardiaWe often exercise theological gerrymandering to support our ideological beliefs about the day's most pressing issues. We must avoid any declaration that God is taking one side over the other.

By: Robert ParhamWe won't win the war against Islamic extremists with drone strikes and military firepower. Overcoming terrorism must include Christians collaborating with goodwill Muslims. Here are five reasons why.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWhat did EthicsDaily.com accomplish in 2015? To start with, more than 500 columns and around 100 news articles were published, written by more than 150 unique contributors from 23 U.S. states and nine countries.

By: Stephen HolmesFranklin Graham has backed Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. Does Graham know that the faith of his father virtually began with a plea for religious freedom for Muslims?

By: Martin AccadWith the church in the Middle East on life support, the solution is not to fan fears of Islam and Muslims and develop strategies of war against them. Rather, the transformation must start from within.

By: Martin AccadThe church of the Middle East is on life support, and fingers regularly point at Islam as the cause of its demise. Under such circumstances, how do you prepare future leaders for the Arab church?

By: Robert ParhamHow should U.S. citizens in general and Baptists in particular respond to the U.S. accepting 12,000 Syrian refugees? We have two models. One serves those in great need; the other rejects them out of fear.

By: Colin HarrisThe marriage between the evangelical and political right seems to have evolved into a relationship where the power it sought is now defining that faith and its responses to issues. But there may be hope.

By: Preston CleggPerhaps the most insidious characteristic of fear is how quickly it draws us into vicious cycles. Fear causes us to see the worst in others, and therefore, it brings out the worst in us.

By: Brian KaylorSouthern Baptists' International Mission Board says it sold $18 million in overseas properties to cover missionary expenses in 2014, but that number doesn't match the agency's own 2014 audit.

By: Brian KaylorThe head of Southern Baptists' International Mission Board said the elimination of up to 800 missionary positions was necessary because of a $210 million spending deficit. But those numbers don't add up.

By: Zach DawesWhile many newspapers charge readers to access their online information, EthicsDaily.com provides free content for churches and people of faith. And we're able to do it with your financial support.

By: Sarah StoneFollowing two major earthquakes, Nepal is facing nationwide fuel shortages after more than two months of blockades along its border with India. The shortage is closing schools and affecting hospitals.

By: Martin AccadWhen a Muslim commits a terrorist act, some complain Muslim leaders aren't doing enough to condemn them. But Muslim groups have condemned them many times - with little, if any, media coverage.

By: Ferrell FosterOthers may turn away from the suffering of refugees, but followers of Jesus can't afford such apathy. By caring for those who suffer, we're caring for Him. Jesus is a refugee, and he needs us.

By: Martin BrooksThe polarization between the Muslim and Christian communities is doing great harm to our nation and to our Christian witness. And many churches respond with fear instead of Christ's love.

By: Rick LoveEvangelical pastors and Muslim imams declared their commitment to making peace with one another, but some evangelicals uphold Jesus' exclusive truth claims without upholding his inclusive love aims.

By: Hailey BrendenResearch into gender-based violence during the Central African Republic conflict has led to the release of a powerful report with the potential to help survivors and inspire leaders to take action.

By: Paul HobsonSome 4,000 people, many of them women and children, languish in a refugee camp on France's northern coast. The threat of violence is high, a British Baptist pastor said. "They need some form of justice."

By: Martin Marty (The Martin Mary Center: Sightings)The south is home to six of 10 states that have passed meaningless laws against the exercise of unexercised Sharia law, but the South is not alone. Islamophobia is a national epidemic.

By: Ircel HarrisonChurch programs come and go. Buildings often become a burden rather than a resource. Strategies rise and fall. But churches wanting the best return on investment should focus on people. People will endure.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists in the former Soviet-bloc nation of Georgia have divided over issues of homosexuality during the past two years. Three leaders there recently explained the controversy to EthicsDaily.com.

By: Bill WilsonDeclining receipts from churches and increasing pressure from the national Baptist body to forward a larger percentage of receipts upstream are squeezing state conventions and associations.

By: EthicsDaily StaffEnding a strike by Christian schools that began on Sept. 1, leaders of the Israeli government and the nation's Christian schools reached an agreement enabling students to return to classes.

By: David CrosbyHungary's prime minister says a 110-mile razor-wire border fence will protect Christians from Muslims. Cynical politicians know the fastest way to whip any group into a frenzy is to say their religion is being attacked.

By: Paul HobsonFifty-seven percent of people in England call themselves Christians, and one in five of those who don't is open to finding out more about Jesus after hearing Christians talk to them about their faith, a British report says.

By: Chris HallThe United Nations will vote on its Sustainable Development Goals to tackle poverty, hunger and other issues over the next 15 years. Here's why your church should support these initiatives.

By: EthicsDaily StaffChristian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders signed a statement calling for a broad commitment to end hunger by 2030. Bread for the World released the statement signed by 67 leaders.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWith nearly a half-million immigrants arriving in Germany so far this year, one German Baptist explains why the country and its Baptist churches are so open in a new Skype interview from EthicsDaily.com.

By: David SwartzCharles Spurgeon's commitment to evangelism and gospel-centered preaching makes him adored by today's evangelicals. Those same traits form the foundation for his staunch Christian pacifism.

By: Paul HobsonFollowing Britain's prime minister describing migrants as a "swarm of people," leaders from several British denominations called for "a more informed and higher level of debate on the issue."

By: Martin BrooksRather than Muslims and Christians getting together to talk about their differences, what if the two faith groups came together to work side by side on projects to help their communities?

By: Daniel TrusiewiczPoland is a nominally religious nation with 38.5 million residents. The Baptist movement is nearly 160 years old; they have more than 5,000 baptized members in 90 local congregations.

By: Robert ParhamThe Baptist World Congress was a splendid overall success, despite lower than desired attendance due to fears of Ebola and xenophobia in South Africa toward other foreign workers. Here's an overview.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMany missionaries and their agencies fall into the trap of paternalism, creating a sense of dependency in the people of less-developed regions. Here are six ways to avoid this pitfall.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAs part of its extensive coverage of the Baptist World Alliance's 2015 World Congress, held in Durban, South Africa, EthicsDaily.com staff interviewed a number of Baptists on a variety of topics.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from around the world, meeting in Africa for the Baptist World Congress, heard updates from those in western African nations impacted by last year's Ebola epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.

By: Arthur BrownFranklin Graham's recent anti-Muslim Facebook post demonstrates paranoia, ignorance and fear to a degree that is almost unbelievable. He has lost sight of some of the central tenets of the faith he professes.

By: Brian KaylorThe general secretary of the Association of Baptist Churches in Rwanda was honored during the Baptist World Congress for his human-rights efforts in the face of ethnic prejudice and genocide.

By: Brian KaylorSouth African musicians danced and sang as they welcomed Baptists from around 80 nations to the 21st Baptist World Congress in South Africa, held every five years by the Baptist World Alliance.

By: Brian KaylorAt the Baptist World Alliance's Congress, held every five years and for the first time in Africa, outgoing president John Upton reflects upon the "power of collectiveness" of global Baptists.

By: Jerrod HugenotCatholics and Baptists have both had varying levels of embrace for connecting faith and social justice. It's ultimately gratifying to see people of faith share abundance where scarcity might reign.

By: Brian CraigBefore ever undertaking a cross-cultural short-term mission experience, realize all that you don't know and do some intentional study about the people group or country where you're headed.

By: EthicsDaily StaffJoel Gregory, who will deliver the closing sermon at the Baptist World Congress in South Africa this month, discusses the global Baptist witness in the latest Skype video from EthicsDaily.com.

By: Robert ParhamU.S. Baptists raised their voices following the Charleston shooting and the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling. By contrast, few Baptist voices spoke up about the pope's encyclical on the environment.

By: Barry HowardAs you celebrate the unrivaled freedom we enjoy in the U.S., celebrate your religious liberty by exercising your freedom to worship. And respect the freedom of others to choose when or if they worship.

By: Bill WilsonThe two groups meeting separately at the hotel couldn't have been more different. Sure, the bodybuilders didn't look anything like the Baptists, but in one key way they're both very much alike.

By: Robert ParhamAfter a preview of EthicsDaily.com's documentary on the story of what missionaries did in Nigeria in 1966 amid several days of genocide that took 30,000 lives, the Twitter reaction was energizing.

By: Brian KaylorA Baptist pastor from eastern Ukraine sees God at work in his country even after the destruction of his 300-member church by pro-Russian separatists when he refused to back their cause.

By: Paul HobsonThe Burundi president's announcement that he would seek a third term sparked unrest in the East African nation. More than 20 have died, 100 injured, 600 arrested and 100,000 fled the country.

By: Jesse WheelerThe world's total number of Muslims and Christians is expected to be nearly equal by 2050, a report says. The obvious conclusion: Both groups must learn to get along for the sake of global concord.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMichael Okwakol, senior pastor of a Baptist church in Uganda and president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, talks about challenges for African churches in a new EthicsDaily.com Skype interview.

By: Martin AccadThe Muhammad cartoon contest provides one more example that anti-Muslim voices seek to provoke conflict and violence. The church needs prophetic voices to stand against this destructive tide.

By: Mike KuhnISIS leaders are not religiously inspired but are using the power of religion to mobilize fighters, a report says. If true, will some Christians continue to castigate Islam as the culprit for this senseless perversion?

By: Greg MamulaAre Baptist churches part of a denomination? Or is a confederation a more precise term? In a confederation, each church continues to remain themselves while uniting for a common purpose.

By: EthicsDaily StaffIslam is the fastest growing faith tradition and is expected to nearly equal Christianity in 40 years, a study says. Meanwhile, the percentage of religiously unaffiliated will decrease.

By: Fiona SpenceEd Walker wanted to do something about Britain's homeless so he and his wife bought a house and rented it out to an ex-offender who had been living in a hostel. And Hope into Action was born.

By: Zach DawesReligion can and should play a role in shaping society, but it should do so by offering a moral compass through public witness that retains a distinction and distance from politicians and parties.

By: EthicsDaily StaffTwo EthicsDaily.com documentaries - "Through The Door," a look at the faith community's engagement with prisons, and "Beneath the Skin: Baptists and Racism," will air on TV networks in March.

By: Bill WilsonMore than just a basketball coach, Dean Smith was an active layman at his Baptist church and took his faith very seriously. And years ago, he stopped by to encourage a group of boys at their RA banquet.

By: Daniel TrusiewiczAlbania in southeastern Europe regained its independence and opened its doors to Christian missionaries in 1991. Today, about 160 evangelical churches exist, including eight Baptist congregations.

By: Martin AccadWe will not defeat ISIS or any other militant jihadist group with temporary military solutions to the problem of religious radicalization. We need a massive global movement to dry up ISIS' recruitment pools.

By: Jim SomervilleInstead of eyeing each other with suspicion, what if the world's religions joined hands and prayed - for the end of ISIS, the end of extremism, the end of fear? Here's what one interfaith group did.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAbout 100 people attended an event in Texas focused on ending human trafficking. The state accounts for almost 14 percent of all calls received by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

By: Stephen HolmesIn their beginnings, Baptists did away with traditional distinctions of Christian life. Rather than being seen as discarding the religious life, it was more accurately an abandonment of secular life.

By: Brian KaylorStanding in the city cemetery in Guatemala City, a contradictory mix of life and death covers the landscape. A nearby ministry started by a Guatemala Baptist leader seeks to tip the balance toward life.

By: Eron HenryAbout 80 churches with some 11,000 members make up the Union of Baptist Churches in the Netherlands. As Baptists migrate throughout the nation, church leaders seek to expand their missional focus.

By: Paul HobsonBoko Haram, a jihadist group seeking to establish Sharia law in Nigeria, carried out a massacre in the west African nation's northeastern region. And a Baptist leader there says the world merely watches.

By: Neville CallamWhen Baptists from around the world gather is South Africa in July for the Baptist World Congress, they'll find a continent of Baptists already spreading the Good News among fellow Africans and beyond their shores.

By: Martin AccadIslam is like a diamond that has collected dust and needs to be cleaned up, said a spokesman for the American Muslim community. In what ways can Christians help? Or will we throw stones?

By: Jon KuhrtHistory shows us that religion often leads to violence, no matter how much we might want to deny it. And however twisted and warped, it is theology that has helped form the worldview of these killers.

By: Brian KaylorLeaders of a Cuban Baptist group praised the news that the U.S. and Cuban leaders have announced a historic shift in relations between the two nations after a strained 50-year relationship.

By: EthicsDaily StaffBeloved Baptist leader Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler died on Jan. 2. Always loyal to her institution and a tireless advocate for missions, she challenged Southern Baptists to engage social issues.

By: Robert ParhamRepresenting how a number of goodwill Baptists have responded to the swelling refugee crises and the devastating disease of Ebola, Don Sewell is EthicsDaily.com's pick as Baptist of the Year for 2014.

By: Robert ParhamBaptists must reclaim our heritage as human rights advocates. We can help church members know that history by observing Human Rights Day in December and know how human rights is Jesus' agenda.

By: Rupen DasSyria occupied Lebanon for 20 years. The memory still burns in many Lebanese families. But when Syrian refugees cascaded into Lebanon to flee their nation's civil unrest, Lebanese churches had to make a choice.

By: Elizabeth Evans HaganWe live in a Christian society and don't face the level of persecution that Paul faced. But we can stand up to hate against our Muslim neighbors, just like these Oklahoma University students did.

By: EthicsDaily StaffA new Islamic document aims to keep Muslim youths from falling victim to misunderstandings of Islam perpetuated by ISIS. Sayyid Syeed has the details in a new Skype interview from EthicsDaily.com.

By: Darren BlaneyThe Bible isn't concerned about churches being led by charismatic leaders sharing the vision and achieving goals. Its focus is on godly men and women helping others become godly men and women.

By: Robert ParhamGiven the global growth and dynamism of evangelical and Pentecostal communities, it's vital to double up our efforts to engage them in climate change. Here are seven biblical words for those conversations.

By: Pat TookFor a church to achieve unity, or be of "one mind," it doesn't require seeing eye-to-eye on all issues. Rather, churches should be filled with dissident voices struggling to find God's way together.

By: Zach DawesFaced with declining attendance and budgets, churches must seek a new way to live out evangelism that doesn't rely on the "if you build it, they will come" mindset. The early church can guide us.

By: Courtney Pace LyonsPrathia Hall faced many obstacles in her life but didn't let them discourager her. She was a civil rights activist, Baptist preacher and a mentor to more than 200 African-American clergywomen.

By: Sam ChaiseReligious freedom, where individuals are free to choose their religion, is on the decline in North America and Western Europe, shifting from pluralism to secularism, which favors the lack of religion.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from Israel, Syria and Iraq explained at a BWA forum how they live as a minority group in their nations and shared their efforts to build bridges with their non-Christian neighbors.

By: Chris HallChurches in the Middle East and North Africa may be facing hard times as they struggle with the rise of armed fundamentalist militias, government crackdowns and civil war, but that's only half the story.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe Middle East Consultation equips participants to respond to the challenges facing Christians and Muslims in the Middle East, says Martin Accad in a new EthicsDaily.com Skype interview.

By: Joe LaGuardiaEven though some haven't welcomed women in ministry in recent years, women have been included in leadership in Baptist life since the 1600s. And they'll continue to bless the church for years to come.

By: Richard WilsonWilliam Tolbert Jr., leader of Liberia and former Baptist World Alliance president, was assassinated in 1980, but his legacy lives on through the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary's lecture series.

By: Arthur BrownIt's a Western myth that Muslims do not speak out against the violent actions of extremist adherents of their faith. Here are three Muslim leaders who condemn the abduction of 200 Nigerian girls.

By: Arthur BrownSome evangelicals fear that interfaith activities will lead to watering down their faith, but nothing could be further from the truth. It's crucial to talk honestly about our faith to people from other faiths.

By: Brian KaylorSome Baptists have offered praise for Pope Francis, elected a year ago, despite key theological differences between Baptists and Catholics. Others dismissed him and his call for Christian unity.

By: Chris HallA Baptist Missionary Society missionary began a church in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, in 1813. Two centuries later, Cinnamon Gardens Baptist Church is thriving and sending its own missionaries.

By: EthicsDaily StaffFirst Baptist of Austin is one of the "greenest" churches in central Texas. The city of Austin awarded its Green Business Leaders Program platinum certification award to the church.

By: Richard WilsonWhen we focus on a doctrine of exclusion, Christians and Muslims miss the important opportunities to focus on common issues, such as attention to the poor and the quest for spiritual maturity.

By: Noel ErskineBefore Adoniram Judson sailed for Burma and William Carey left for India, George Liele began his mission work in Jamaica. He was the first ordained black Baptist pastor in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

By: Martin AccadThe Syrian conflict has provoked a growing fear of Islam and Muslims among Christians in Syria, the region and, to some extent, throughout the world. Interfaith relationships can turn that around.

By: Naomi King WalkerQualified and called women ministers permeate every area of Baptist life, yet many still enjoy far fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. The attitudes of churches are evolving. Has yours?

By: EthicsDaily StaffChristians don't appreciate the diversity that exists among the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, says the author of a book on Christian-Muslim relationships in a Skype interview with EthicsDaily.com.

By: Jennifer BrysonWhile Christians and Muslims have deep disagreements over faith issues, they can still relate to each other in a way that is "respectful, gracious and bridge-building," an author says.

By: Arthur BrownPope Francis suggests that dialogue between those of differing faiths, particularly Christians and Muslims, is a necessary condition for peace in the world and is the duty of people of faith.

By: David StrattonThe U.S. reveres not merely religious toleration but religious liberty for all. Unlike other nations, violence in the name of religion is nearly nonexistent. So why are we so silent about our success?

The only evangelical church in one of the most fiercely Muslim areas of the world is under severe pressure and may close its doors without support from Western Christians, the founder of Open Doors said.

An Alabama United Methodist bishop said he was sorry for being inactive while an anti-immigration bill moved into law in his state. He urged 300 Tennessee faith leaders to speak against similar bills in their state.

Catholic and United Methodist bishops are scheduled as panelists at screenings of EthicsDaily.com's "Gospel Without Borders" in Georgia and North Carolina. Screenings are also set in Florida and Denver.

A cross-section of influential faith leaders in Iraq have come together to call for peace through dialogue rather than military strength. One leader said they have a duty to initiate a "moral generation."

After a screening of EthicsDaily.com's documentary, "Gospel Without Borders," panelists and audience members noted that the current perception and treatment of immigrants was similar to the "Jim Crow" laws in the U.S.

Theologian Miroslav Volf said at least two negative outcomes have grown out of the 9/11 attacks – increased prejudice toward Islam and the current sense of American exceptionalism. Are there positive results?

Howard, a former Navy chaplain, served multiple tours of duty in the days following 9/11 while his family faced mounting stress. He was a hero often in harm's way – and there's something else we're not telling you.

People of all faiths should encourage others in their own circles from making disparaging statements against their fellow Americans, whether they're Christians, Jews, Muslims or adherents of another faith.

A Baptist church in Lebanon is supporting hundreds of families, mostly women and children, who have fled Syria following the nation's harsh crackdown on demonstrators calling for freedom and democracy.

Countless Muslims gathered in Egypt on Friday, calling for an Islamic Egypt a few months after the departure of Hosni Mubarak. The gathering was a cause for concern for the nation's Christians and moderate Muslims.

Many different voices in U.S. society are calling for protection for the individual, rather than seeking what's good for the community. Why is the voice of social justice barely a whisper amid the current clatter?

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a leader at his Baptist church, signed one of the nation’s harshest anti-immigration law. With the Bible’s call to protect the stranger, one might wonder what god the governor serves.

Plotting their strategy to defeat President Obama, about 80 pastors and other conservative Christian leaders held a closed-door meeting this week to discuss the need for spiritual and political change in the nation.

If we affirm that Christians and Jews worship the same God, but each faith understands God differently, then can we say that Muslims also worship the same God, though they understand that God differently?

If we affirm that Christians and Jews worship the same God, but each faith understands God differently, then can we say that Muslims also worship the same God, though they understand that God differently?

British Baptists met for their annual assembly, kicking off a weekend of thoughtful sermons and prayers for mission personnel. They also commissioned the army's chaplain-general, the first Baptist to hold the post.

As patriotic triumphalism swept the country, ordinary Americans shot off fireworks, political leaders issued victory statements and newspaper headlines announced pride in national success. (White House photo by Pete Souza)

Most Arabs and Muslims rejected Osama bin Laden's violent extremism. Will we transcend the temptations of triumphalism and redouble efforts at education, dialogue and cooperation across religious lines?

Since President Obama and his family visited a Baptist church on Easter and Fox News later aired a tape of the church's pastor, the church has received more than 100 threatening e-mails, faxes and phone calls.

How do you learn the three-step tango to introducing anti-Shariah bills? Fabricate facts. Testify to threats. Take a stand against problems that don't exist. Lawmakers in as many as 13 states have performed the dance.

A recent CNN special recounts the negative response on the part of some citizens to the building of a new Islamic center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The report didn't tell the whole story. Here's what CNN missed.

After attracting international media attention, a Florida pastor said he wouldn't burn the Quran on last year's anniversary of 9/11. A few days ago, he broke that promise after finding the Quran guilty in a mock trial.

Of the dozen state lawmakers identified in a Southern Poverty Law Center report for their radical-right beliefs on immigration, conspiratorial attitudes and involvement with hate groups, four were Southern Baptists.

U.S. Rep. Peter King's hearings on the "radicalization of American Muslims" are only the latest Christian-Muslim flare-ups. To break this pattern of demonization, goodwill faith leaders must choose to be proactive.

Members of a British Baptist church faced 10-hour days in primitive conditions as they helped cook for tens of thousands of refugees, who have been pouring across Libya's border to escape the fighting.

Global Baptists have provided financial aid and are assisting with relief and rescue efforts after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami. They have responded to earthquakes in four other nations over the last 14 months.

Anti-Islam bills have now been introduced in a dozen state legislatures. Some bills refer specifically to Sharia or Islamic law. Others refer only to "foreign laws," a thinly veiled reference to Islamic law.

A Baptist pastor in Cuba said he is stepping down from his church position because of prolonged government pressure and threats made against the church. Other Baptist pastors face similar situations, he warned.

Not all contemporary Baptists consistently promote religious freedom. They passionately argue for their right to worship but forget to do the same for other faith groups. Richard Land is a prime example.

“Baptist” is not necessarily a name our spiritual forefathers chose for themselves. It was given to them by those who observed their behavior, didn’t like it very much, and chose the name as a form of ridicule.

During a Muslim-Baptist mission trip to provide mosquito-repellent nets in one of the world's poorer nations, a young Muslim mother received the 100,000th net distributed by a Baptist-led organization.

Two Baptists and a Muslim left behind Oklahoma's infectious fear of Islam to combat the infectious disease of malaria in Tanzania, demonstrating that different faiths can work together to meet human needs.

Sacred texts and prophetic voices from myriad faith traditions across the world all contain a call to love one another in the form of exhortations to treat others as we would have them treat us. So what stops us?

Some Christians fear becoming involved in interfaith efforts because they wonder if accepting another's non-Christian faith is somehow being disloyal to their primary fidelity to Jesus. It's far from the truth.

After rejecting the request before an overflow crowd, some of whom clutched their Bibles, a Kentucky town’s zoning board reconsidered and granted a permit to allow Muslims to turn an empty store into a house of worship.

People have done some terrible things in the name of Christianity, but other religions have done worse. At least that's the reasoning some have used to defend their faith. But is that really how we want to argue for Christianity?

An Orthodox Christian leader comes under fire from Muslims when he raises an inquiry about verses in the Quran. The incident points to the great need for peacemakers to help Muslim-Christian relations.

Taking a "step toward peace," some 300 people, including about one third of them coming from Memphis' Muslim community, attended a screening of "Different Books, Common Word" at First Baptist of Memphis.

When violence erupted against immigrants in South Africa in 2008, the economy, unemployment and other factors weren't the defining cause of whether a township exploded in violence. It was local leadership. (Photo: Andras Osvat)

First Baptist Church of Memphis is breaking new cultural ground with its sponsorship of a citywide screening of EthicsDaily.com's documentary about how U.S. Baptists and Muslims are engaged in interfaith dialogue and action.

How does a Christian church, which affirms Jesus as Lord, welcome people of other faiths to a shared experience of readings from our texts? Jesus' way is one of reconciling love rather than polarizing division.

Angry protests over an Islamic center near Ground Zero. A Florida pastor threatens to burn the Quran. If we don't guarantee religious freedom for all, we betray the genius that lies behind the U.S. Constitution.

Unlike those who keep misquoting the Quran in order to frame Islam as some type of terrorist religion, what if Christians took the time to read it as a way to seek dialogue with those who are also seeking the face of God?

A Southern Baptist pastor from Tennessee burned a copy of the Quran on Saturday, claiming "it's about love." Meanwhile, a Southern Baptist church in Kentucky honored different faith traditions' sacred texts at an interfaith service.

The head of Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission remains a strong voice against the right of Muslims to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero. But his reasons don’t all add up.

After Gen. Petraeus said a church's plan to burn the Quran would endanger U.S. soldiers, conservative religionists started lining up in opposition to the church. Of course, that's after they had stoked the fires of Islamic fear.

If Terry Jones truly is the pastor of a New Testament church, as his website claims, he would do well to recall the words of Jesus to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" before burning the Quran.

Many Baptists have watered down Jesus, severing his agenda for social justice from Christian faith. How do we counteract the ideological gloss on the biblical witness used to justify a laissez-faire economic system?

Newt Gingrich is wrong. The term "Cordoba" – the name planned for the Islamic center near Ground Zero – isn't "a symbol of Islamic conquest." It's a reference to the city where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in peace.

To equate a mosque with terrorists is either the height of ignorance or depth of callous manipulation. It shows how hate and fear, two powerful political motivators, have been employed to rally the worst in Americans.

The civic and religious leaders opposed to an Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero are not interested in restoring relationships. Isn't it time for people of all faiths and no faith to work and play together?

Narrow-minded intolerance has led to the outcry against the building of a mosque near Ground Zero. It's time to turn away from ignorance and embrace again the words of Christ: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Millions of Americans would rather continue to remain ignorant about Islam so that they can continue to stereotype Islam as a religion of radical hatred and evil. How should we respond to such religious illiteracy?

Nearly one-third of American marriages will remain religiously mixed. With interfaith marriage becoming more common and accepted, church leaders must be aware of the trend and address the implications.

Challenge the prevailing narrative of the Western world that Islam and Christianity are at war, people from both faiths support and respect each other in Yendi, a city in Ghana where at least 80 percent of the population is Muslim.

While Baptists have a rich 400-year history, it's important to reflect on our future – as individuals and as communities. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, if we don't know where we're going, we might not get there.

Sharing their concerns about the vilification of Muslims by Christians, two Baptists mapped out ways for constructive engagement between the world's two largest faith groups during a Baptist World Alliance focus group.

David Coffey reflects on his BWA presidency as his term draws to a close. In the second part of an interview with EthicsDaily.com, he discusses his part in fostering interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

David Coffey showed courage and demonstrated wisdom during his presidential tenure of the Baptist World Alliance. As his term draws to a close, he reflected on his service in an EthicsDaily.com interview.

What do the younger generation of Baptists think about where we are headed? While no Baptist speaks for another, these voices of influence will be among those who will one day define what it means to be Baptist.

Some people rise to religious and political power on a wave of fear. Their current target is Islam. Rather than succumb to fear-based and hate-filled rhetoric, we must reject the demonization of our Muslim neighbors.

An anonymous letter-writer fears the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., will lead to Western civilization's destruction. It's sad to see so much fear and misunderstanding packed into a one-page letter.

Baptists in Great Britain were among those honored recently in the Queen's Birthday Honors list. They include a former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain as well as a teacher retiring after 29 years of service.

At EthicsDaily.com's luncheon during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Assembly, three individuals described how they built relational bridges over the cultural minefield of Christian-Muslim tensions.

One persistent falsehood is that Islam is by definition a violent religion. Call it the Franklin Graham Falsehood. He also claimed that he's "not heard one Islamic leader" condemn 9/11, but he clearly hasn't done his research.

Good Baptist historians stick their necks out for the common good and offer a relevant moral witness when it counts. They're more interested in strengthening the prophetic voice than offering soothing sermons.

Some people believe that President Obama is a secret Muslim no matter how much evidence exists about his faith in Christ. Meanwhile, Liberty University's president appears to have exaggerated his Muslim roots.

More than 300,000 people die every year because of complications related to obesity. Muslim organizations in Illinois are leading several initiatives to promote physical fitness, healthy diet and exercise.

Some Christians fear interfaith dialogue because they think it will lead to compromising their faith. However, people of different faiths can engage in frank and honest dialogue without conceding their convictions.

The U.S. Army made the right decision to prohibit Franklin Graham from speaking at a prayer event in May at the Pentagon. The prohibition resulted from Graham's continuous hostile and insulting statements about Islam.

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas wrote that the sexual scandals in Catholicism and Protestantism were different, but Catholic and Baptist leaders have more similarities than differences on the child-abuse front.

As Baptist and Muslim leaders, including Sayyid Syeed with the Islamic Society of North America, lamented the Nigerian conflict, most Baptists in North America know little about the clashes. (Photo: EthicsDaily.com)

Baptists have too often emphasized individualism – an it's-me-and-Jesus attitude – over community. But there are good reasons to be connected to others as part of our Christian life. Here are five of them.

"Different Books, Common Word" can be an important vehicle for social change on the local level where Islamic centers and Baptist congregations can get together to screen the documentary and discuss it.

While most of the attention of the earthquake in Haiti has focused on Port-au-Prince, many throughout the country are suffering. One church network has been providing assistance to help with the ongoing crisis.

EthicsDaily.com's documentary, "Different Books, Common Word," airing on ABC-TV stations across the country, is generating positive dialogue about the relationship between goodwill Baptists and Muslims.

Reinforcing a perception that American Christianity has a crusade against Muslims, a corporation inscribes biblical references on the sights of its rifles and has a contract to provide 800,000 sights to the Marines.

Conservative politicians are calling for expanded use of racial profiling to evaluate airline passengers entering the U.S. But profiling offers a false sense of security and attacks the very nature of our democratic society.

You may not have heard about these stories in 2009. Saudi Arabia opened its first coeducational college. American Muslims demonstrate moderate attitudes. They're two of the top good-news stories from the Muslim world.

During filming of "Different Books, Common Word," many couldn't believe Baptists and Muslims could have any sort of relationship. Their disbelief didn't grow in a vacuum. It was cultivated by extremism of word and deed.

The Baptist-Muslim engagement was the most unanticipated and underreported religion story of 2009. And EthicsDaily.com's new documentary examines five stories that will shed light on that relationship.

A small Baptist college in Georgia will require faculty to express public allegiance to the Southern Baptist doctrinal statement, reinforcing how Southern Baptist education has changed to be more about isolation and indoctrination.

Some Christians want us to distance ourselves from Muslims, falsely claiming the actions of extremists define Islam. Yet these same critics consider Christian extremists to be the exceptions of their own faith.

With gritty determination and undeniable dignity, Emmanuel McCall has worked constructively in the white Baptist power structure to advance racial reconciliation. He's EthicsDaily.com's Baptist of the Year for 2009.

EthicsDaily.com's new documentary, "Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," has been picked up by more than 60 ABC stations across the country for broadcast beginning in January. And more will follow.

The Swiss recently banned construction of minarets. Baptists become upset when Muslim countries close a church or expel our missionaries. Will we remember that religious liberty's door swings both ways?

After three men firebombed an Islamic center in Tennessee, Christians and Jews reached out to help the Muslim community. Such goodwill counters the hype in certain media that focus on what divides these faiths.

Many parts of the country are facing the reality that America is becoming a multiracial, multi-ethnic nation. Rather than fight it, churches could learn something by dialoguing with other ethnic groups.

The United Kingdom has undertaken its first Interfaith Week, but it's unlikely to draw a warm and enthusiastic response from Baptists. Can we not make an effort to encounter people of other faiths simply as people?

So the next time you’re at a party and you’re asked what Baptists believe, don’t be calling me on your cell phone for a review! Just remember the four fragile freedoms—Bible freedom, Soul freedom, Church freedom, and Religious freedom—and you’ll be fine.

No, Baptists aren’t the only freedom-loving people in the world. But thanks to their efforts, millions of people here and abroad enjoy freedom of conscience when it comes to religion. No elected official, no ordained minister controls what we believe, or what we do about church, if anything. And that, my friends, is a very big deal!

A Southern Baptist leader evoked images of Hitler and the Holocaust to thwart health-care reform. It is a brutal insult both to the victims and survivors of that Holocaust. His handlers should silence him.

Eight years ago, religion was misused to validate violence. Today, Christian and Muslim leaders are seeking common ground around the common word found in both their faith traditions – love for neighbor.

Washington, DC (BWA) --Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), is coordinating relief efforts to the Philippines and Indonesia after these countries were badly affected by a typhoon and earthquakes, respectively.

And if you are not already thoroughly confused, followers of Dutch theologian Joseph Arminius muddy the water still more. Arminians whole-heartedly agree with Calvin that we are incapable of saving ourselves. We don’t choose God. God chooses us. However, say Arminians, for God’s choice to finally make a difference, we must respond to God’s grace. In other words, God makes the first move (prevenient grace) but he can’t save us by himself. At some point, we have to cooperate (cooperative grace) with God by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Even though God chooses us to be his own, we have the freedom to resist his grace and say, “No. I’d rather be in Hell.”

The Islamic Society of North America is appalled at news of the riots in Gojra, Pakistan, in which several homes belonging to members of the Christian community were destroyed and about seven people were killed.

This time, they did. But God does not guarantee Ezekiel or Frank or anyone else that people will listen. That’s not our worry. God says, speak anyway.

So, a little humility, weak and wobbly ones of God. It’s not all up to you. Speak anyway. Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

As Christians and Muslims increasingly live side by side, the tension between the two mission-focused faiths is inevitable. That's why the guidelines prepared by the Christian Muslim Forum are a valuable resource for interaction.

The battle over the burqa has broken out between President Barack Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy. The French president's view reflects hostility toward religion while Obama displays respect for religion.

America has been described as a melting pot, a place where people from diverse backgrounds merge into one. However, we are often more like a tossed salad, with unique pieces of cultural heritage clearly visible and intact.

Forgetting Jesus' great commandment, conservative Christian bloggers began barking their disapproval as soon as they learned mega-church pastor Rick Warren would speak to the Islamic Society of North America.

President Obama's trip to predominantly Muslim nations in the Middle East holds historic promise. Every Christian can only pray that Obama's trip sows seeds that will bear fruit of a hundred-fold for peace.

Some churches have removed Baptist from their names, but others seek to reclaim the meaning of the name. Many principles of historical Baptist theology and polity offer a solid basis for citizenship in a free and diverse society.

If the Southern Baptist Convention believes that actions speak louder than words, then its action of having a program of virtually all whites and all males places a big question mark over the convention's 2009 meeting logo.

The majority of Christians in the United Kingdom think attendance in their own churches will increase over the next 20 years, a survey revealed. They're less optimistic about growth of other churches in the U.K.

President Barack Obama spoke as a public theologian in Cairo, calling for us to go beyond interfaith dialogue and to pursue interfaith service. He deserves applause from people of faith—Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Spurred by a discussion about how Christians should view other religions, we talked about Islam in Sunday School. Without negating points about which Christians and Muslims would disagree, I sought to counter stereotypes.

The last place one would expect to meet the father of Jesus is in a Washington, D.C., office shoehorned between the Supreme Court and the Dirksen Senate Office Building. But meet him I did. And he is a Muslim.

When Churchland Baptist Church in Virginia used the "Beneath the Skin" DVD and study guide for a recent group session, it encouraged open and honest discussion that will hopefully trickle into further conversations in other settings.

More than half of all Americans have a "live and let live" attitude toward people of other faiths, a Gallup poll found. Several Baptist leaders said tolerance alone won't lead to the real interfaith integration that America needs.

Few are answering the call to a vocation of full-time mission service overseas, a mission worker told Baptists at the annual Baptist Assembly in Great Britain. With the needs so great, why are the laborers so scarce?

“Muslim Demographics," a fear-mongering, fact-distorting video on YouTube, has gone viral with almost 5 million views thanks to conservative Christians who are posting it on their blogs and e-mailing links to their church friends.

The National Day of Prayer's original intent was to be a day when persons of all faiths could pray for the nation in their diverse ways. Regrettably, in recent years, fundamentalist Christians have perverted it into an exercise in religious segregation.

After a passionate speech from an 18-year-old, British Baptists passed a resolution condemning the use of 'mosquito' alarms, which emit a high-pitched sound that's intolerable to many young adults, to force them away from businesses.

When the Ottoman Empire was an expansionistic power, threatening Christian-dominated Europe, a little-known Baptist layman advocated religious liberty for Muslims to the king of England, who was no friend of religious diversity.

The new president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Kingsley Appiagyei, challenged Baptists "to expect great things from God, and also to attempt great things for God," at the Baptist Assembly's opening celebration.

Despite the Missouri Baptist Convention executive director's assertion that money given by churches to sustain ministries and missions efforts has not been tapped to fund lawsuits, the convention's executive committee is proposing exactly that.

My involvement in an interfaith group and the friendships that developed led me to reflect more sharply on the implications of believing in Jesus Christ as God's unique embodiment and revelation in the midst of a pluralistic world.

With their roots stretching back to 1911, the Baptist community in Israel numbers 3,000 people making up 20 churches in Galilee and central Israel. They are a minority group in a multifaith, multicultural society.

"Cities of Light" is a 47-minute documentary showing how Islamic Spain bloomed—as a result of interfaith cooperation, the documentary argues—while Europe lay in the Dark Ages. (Photo: Unity Productions Foundation)

Baptists and other Christians in Gaza lived side by side with their Muslim neighbors in love and respect until six years ago. Today, they are caught between the Israeli attacks on Gaza and attacks from militant Muslims.

The Baptist movement in Lebanon began more than a century ago when a Lebanese photographer visited a Baptist church in St. Louis. Today, its ministries include a seminary, publishing house, school and a community-relief organization.

When President Obama claimed in Turkey that we Americans "do not consider ourselves a Christian nation," a right-wing brouhaha ensued. They set aside the fact that Obama has repeatedly extolled the value of faith in politics.

Popular author and preacher Tony Campolo urged Baptists to help care for the needs of others by making systemic changes to American society and churches, during the final session of the Baptist Border Crossing.

David Coffey, president of the Baptist World Alliance, told an estimated 900 participants at the Baptist Border Crossing that their network will be successful as they trust the Lord to help them overcome barriers.

Carolyn Staley, minister of education at Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., has organized an Arkansas Chapter of Baptist Women in Ministry. Some of her members can't be named publicly.

Thirteen students toured six countries as part of a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship mission program last summer. Now they're helping others understand how the United Nations' goal to eradicate poverty intersects with their faith.

The Baptist World Alliance convened a number of Christian and religious groups in Amman, Jordan, to discuss common interests and to review plans surrounding the official opening and dedication of the Baptism Center in Bethany beyond Jordan.

The popular perception is that there is no constructive relationship between Baptists and Muslims in the United States. Why is that? Why is there so little recognized relationship between goodwill Baptists and Muslims?

I chuckled when I read, "A rabbi, a priest and a minister walked into a bar. The bartender said, 'Is this a joke?'" Well, it was no joke for me on May 29, 2005. The setting was not a bar, but the home of Rabbi Stephen Chaim Listfield in Montgomery, Ala.

Religious groups are more than eager to love their neighbors when it comes to regulating personal behavior. But when it comes time to take on the big issues of social and economic injustice, conservative Christians begin to sound more like a certain character in one of Jesus' parables.

Listening to the voices of the marginalised, opposing discrimination of women and noting the impact of climate change were among the commitments made by Baptists around the world in Rome as part of the 'urgent Gospel task of being justice seekers and peacemakers'.

We like to talk—and act as if our latest opinion is the right one for everyone else to embrace. But our past actions do not afford us such a position on the subject of race. It is a time to shut up, reflect deeply and listen to others.

This past week, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced in a press release that income is running at seven percent below 2008 and at just 79 percent of its current budget. As a result, the organization is cutting internal spending by 20 percent, and reducing funding for partner organizations by 30 percent.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- How can Baptists maintain an effective witness into their fifth century of existence? More than 400 participants gathered at First Baptist Church Feb. 9 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement and to anticipate what the fifth century of Baptist life might hold.

Why would a Baptist be heavily involved in an interfaith organization? Aren’t we known for our unreserved advocacy and commitment to Christian conversion? Shouldn’t our energies be focused on the advancement of gospel sharing? Is cooperation with other faiths a form of endorsement to their claims of spiritual legitimacy?

In January 2008 I received an e-mail from a distraught former student informing me that Jimmy Carter’s book, Palestine: Peace, not Apartheid, a Christmas gift she had given her grandfather, was dismissed as a misguided treatise and unfair criticism of Israel.

The purpose of this essay is not to air a laundry list of serious errors in judgment infracted by some over the years. Rather, it is intended to help shed light on and perhaps assist in sweeping away some of the cobwebs and pre-conceived notions most Americans have about Palestinians.

The recent events in Gaza are a horrific example of democracy at work, according to Raouf Halaby. But the implementation of democracy in this case grates against the American ideal like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Baptists and Muslims must get to know each other and overcome ignorance and misinformation. That was the dominant message from both Baptist and Muslim presenters at the first national Muslim-Baptist dialogue held Jan. 9-11 at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Mass.

Muslim leader Sayyid Syeed told Baptists and Muslims on Friday night at the opening session of the first national dialogue between two faiths in the Abrahamic tradition that his religion needed the help of Baptists in America.

Around 80 Baptist and Muslim leaders from across the nation gathered in Boston for a first-of-its-kind dialogue Jan. 9-11 in hopes of furthering mutual understanding and discovering areas of common ground. Held at the Islamic Center of Boston and Andover Newton Theological School, the meeting included presentations, breakout discussion sessions, worship services and fellowship times.

Reversing the Southern Baptist Convention’s decline and loss of influence will demand new leadership and theological transformation, two very unlikely possibilities in the next decade. The SBC’s numerical slide and besmirched image took some 30 years to achieve and cannot be undone by a quick makeover.

Washington, D.C. (BWA) -- The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has issued a formal response to "A Common Word Between Us and You," a letter written by 138 Muslim leaders and scholars that appealed for Christians and Muslims to cooperate in engendering peace and religious freedom.

When we now listen to the religious minority's stories of injury and insult, we take the first step toward religious reformation. Awareness births empathy--empathy births a passion for righteousness. At least, that's the way goodwill Baptists ought to respond morally.

Violence is the byproduct of religion plus politics, not religion alone. Even if one could imagine a world without religion, one can hardly imagine a world without politics. The striving for power surely deserves as much credit for the recent riots in Jos, Nigeria, as does the dogma of competing faith groups. Yet, all too often, news reports explain violence in terms of faith clashes.

Can Baptist congregations still be courageous enough to respect, honor and validate the personal and moral choice of members who challenge the Christian mainstream by exercising a renewal of our commitment to the liberty of conscience?

Washington, D.C. (BWA) -- Baptist Churches in Vietnam (BCV), one of several Baptist conventions and unions in the Southeast Asian country, gained official recognition from the Vietnamese government in early October.

Inspired by the vision and success of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant held earlier this year, several Baptist groups are planning similar regional gatherings for 2009. Next year will also mark the 400th anniversary of the Baptist movement.

Messengers to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina on Nov. 12 voted 431-354 to eliminate any possibility of contributions to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship through the convention's new single giving plan. The recommendation before the convention would have allowed congregations to continue a 10 percent contribution to CBF in Atlanta, but now that option will cease permanently beginning January 2010.

"Khaled, 40, is among a new breed of media-savvy Muslim clerics who have taken to the stage and are beaming messages to millions across the Middle East on a series of dedicated pan-Arab TV shows and channels," according to a recent Variety story.

"Islam in America" doesn't get distracted by the deep-seated fear and hatred that exists between the United States and other parts of the world. No--"Islam in America" is about another Abrahamic faith community on these shores.

In light of Barack Obama's victory in Tuesday's presidential election, many people are considering what his election might mean for race relations in America. Reflections from several African-American Baptist ministers suggest that although they see Obama's election as an important moment, it must be just one step on a longer road toward racial reconciliation.

Messengers at the 2008 annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention adopted a resolution on "environmental stewardship." However, the resolution barely promoted environmental stewardship but instead mainly attacked those who warn of the dangers of global warming.

A British Baptist organization and students around the world are promoting efforts this week to raise awareness of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where more than five million people have died since 1996.

The question of what Islamic women want is asked in the larger context of who speaks for Islam, which raises these questions: What do a billion Muslims really think? How does one answer such questions? Who would dare tackle such complicated and risky questions?

ATLANTA (CBF) -- A year-long spiritual discernment process culminated Oct. 10 in the unanimous approval by its governing Coordinating Council of the re-prioritizing of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's work.

(BWA) Edna Lee de Gutiérrez from Mexico, president of the Baptist World Alliance Women's Department (BWAWD) from 1985-1990 and vice president of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) from 1990-1995, died on Sunday, October 5.

A Southern Baptist Convention official who usually attacks Muslims and makes derogatory remarks about Islam recently offered his support for a report urging greater dialogue with the adherents of the world's second largest religion. The following day, however, he returned to his approach of rejecting dialogue as he attacked Christians attempting to increase understanding between the faiths.

Muslim leaders in Dayton, Ohio, said they don't know why anyone would disrupt a Friday night Ramadan service by spraying an unknown irritant into a mosque and forcing about 300 worshippers out of the building and into the street with burning eyes and throats. But the attack coincided with mass distribution in presidential swing states of a controversial DVD about Islamic terrorism.

The Southern Baptist Convention, which four years ago withdrew from the Baptist World Alliance over theological and relational differences, isn't likely to return to the fold any time soon, the denomination's leaders indicated Tuesday.

President Bush deserves a word of thanks from goodwill Baptists for his inclusive approach to one of the three religions in the Abrahamic faith tradition. For the past eight years, he has hosted in the White House an annual Iftaar dinner, a meal after sunset that breaks the daily fast for Muslims during Ramadan. He has shown the world the good side of people of faith.

An action thriller ripping across three continents has a storyline about the son of an Islamic cleric, who displays admirable piety and wrestles with moral ambiguity, and the son of a Baptist preacher, who discloses a minimalist faith. One seeks God's will; the other says he believes in God without letting faith trouble his actions. One is black; the other is white. Both are Americans.

An action thriller ripping across three continents has a storyline about the son of an Islamic cleric, who displays admirable piety and wrestles with moral ambiguity, and the son of a Baptist preacher, who discloses a minimalist faith. One seeks God's will; the other says he believes in God without letting faith trouble his actions. One is black; the other is white. Both are Americans.

Rev. Olu Menjay could have lived a comfortable life in America. As a refugee from the Liberian civil war, he was granted a green card. After graduating from Mercer and Duke Divinity School, he was in pursuit of a doctorate at Boston University when Rev. Emile Sam-Peal, general secretary of the Liberian Baptist Missionary and Education Convention, invited him to return to Liberia to become principal of Ricks Institute, a K-12 grade school about 12 miles outside Monrovia.

Laura Cadena, a fifth-generation Tejana, recalls a story about when her grandmother moved from Laredo to Dallas, Texas: "She remembers getting on a bus and the sign saying 'Whites Only' or 'Blacks Only,' and she didn't know where she was supposed to sit."

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary doctoral student David Roach is writing his dissertation under the working title of "The Southern Baptist Convention and Civil Rights, 1954-1995." These bookend dates begin with the Supreme Court's ruling against the segregation of public schools and conclude with the SBC's resolution apologizing for current individual and systemic acts of racism. When he asked if he could interview me, he said that he knew my response would be cordial and candid.

Sarah Palin is a front-line culture warrior whose election as vice president would be a "disaster" for the country, says an American Baptist pastor and longtime nemesis in local politics in the governor's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska.

Much has been written about Baptist ethicist Henlee H. Barnette, including the fact that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was interested in some of his activities. But so far as we know, Barnette's FBI file hasn't seen the light of day—until now.

Aidsand Wright-Riggins expected some sort of emotional response years ago as a religious-studies major in college when he illustrated a presentation on race and religion by tearing up an Ebony magazine portrayal of Jesus as an African-American.

I got an e-mail Wednesday morning from a Muslim friend who was distraught to discover that every member of Oklahoma's congressional delegation declined to accept his invitation to a dinner and dialogue with moderate Muslims.

Tip O'Neill's famous quote that "all politics is local" is nowhere truer this year than in Alabama's second congressional district, where both the Democratic and Republican candidates are deacons at the same Southern Baptist church.

A Southern Baptist leader credited with rejecting the demonization of Islam has a track record of promoting and offering derogatory statements about Muslims. Although Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has been praised for avoiding hateful attacks on Muslims that other Southern Baptists have offered, he has at times refused to repudiate such remarks and has offered his own problematic comments about Islam.

Songs sung in church are more than words and music. They are teaching tools and a record of a congregation's values and beliefs. A new hymnal, just released by LifeWay Christian Resources, aims to set those standards in Southern Baptist churches for a generation--a generation that follows a seismic theological shift often called the "conservative resurgence."

The annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America was more like an annual convention of Baptists than most Baptists would want to know: leaders wrapped the will of God around appeals for funds; scripture citation was frequent; cell phones rang at inopportune times; participants were more interested in hallway fellowship than platform presentations; displays sold books, CDs, DVDs, religious trinkets and hair loss-prevention products. Some speakers were dynamic; others were pedantic. Some attendees were smartly dressed; others were casually clad.

Two speakers—one Muslim and the other Christian—raised similar questions about being American at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North American, held over the weekend in Columbus, Ohio, questions that found parallel expressions throughout the gathering attended by a reported 30,000 Muslims and a delegation of nine Baptists.

Monday morning, Sept. 1, I left my hotel in Columbus, Ohio, before daybreak. The weekend at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America had been eventful and full. Not really expecting there to be anyone—or any food—in the breakfast room at such an early hour, I was amazed to enter a crowded elevator and emerge into a busy lobby and noisy dining area.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, aimed in part to ease doubts about his candidacy among the Religious Right, isn't winning over all conservative evangelicals.

On the football field a "crackback" is an unexpected blind-side block that takes a would-be tackler out of the play. When it comes to hiring black coaches, it's a standard part of the playbook, says Fitz Hill, former head coach at San Jose State University.

WASHINGTON (BWA) Baptist World Alliance President David Coffey and General Secretary Neville Callam are appealing for prayer for those affected by the conflict between Georgian and Russian forces over the Georgian breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Estimates are that more than 158,000 persons are displaced as a result of the fighting.

WASHINGTON (BWA) A global Baptist leader decried attacks targeting Christians in the state of Orissa in eastern India. More than 600 churches have reportedly been demolished, 4,000 Christians forced to flee from their villages and at least 25 killed as a result of religious violence.

The Islamic Society of North American has taken a proactive initiative to invite two Baptists to speak this weekend in Columbus, Ohio, at its annual meeting, which will draw an estimated 30,000 Muslim participants, have some 600 display booths and offer a plethora of sessions ranging from the "Thinking Outside the Mosque" to "Medical Aspects of Fasting."

A Focus on the Family Action broadcaster has apologized for a tongue-in-cheek video asking people to pray for rain during Barack Obama's outdoor speech at next week's Democratic National Convention, but a former Southern Baptist Convention officer quickly took up the cause.

Muslims plan to construct over 180 mosques in Germany. The birthplace of the Protestant Reformation, Neo-Orthodoxy, Dietrich Bonheoffer's Confessing Church and Pope Benedict XVI, it is also the location of almost 1,000 Baptist churches and the Baptist World Alliance's 2008 youth conference.